In the coming weeks, chances are you’ll be attending some parties. Let’s just be clear: a lot of parties. And sometimes, you’re going to have to bring your hostess more than just a bouquet of flowers. You can breathe a sigh of relief, however, because while you’re online doing your holiday shopping — or shopping for your own holiday outfits — you can add a few things to order and make sure that you’re fully stocked on chic hostess gifts. We put Zara and H&M, two fast fashion giants, to the test by exploring their newly expanded offerings.

Zara debuted its home line a few months ago, although those lucky enough to live in or visit Europe already knew that the brand known for straight-from-the-runway fashion is also set to outfit your abode. Zara Home is huge, spanning everything from bedding and home accents to tableware, bath accessories and even wallpaper. They’ve even introduced Zara Home Kids to get little ones in on the action. US shoppers can get the entire line of Zara Home goods online and one major perk that Zara’s offering is free shipping whether you want to order a lone candle or choose to redo your entire house.

H&M also offered its home offerings to Americans this year and following Zara, they started out online. Shoppers in New Orleans and Washington, D.C. can count themselves as lucky, however, because they’ll be the first people stateside to see H&M Home in the flesh when the Swedish brand opens new shops this month in each city. The New Orleans flagship will open first, so book your tickets to the Big Easy now if you want to see the goods for yourself. If you’re not in Louisiana or our nation’s capital and don’t plan on visiting in the near future, you can browse the brand’s home goods online and pay just $5.95 shipping regardless of how much you order, and even if Southwest is having a deal on cheap airfare, you can’t beat shopping in the comfort of the house you’re buying for.

To compare the two online stores, we’ve chosen similar items from each store. In the name of fairness, we’re also choosing things that we’d put in our own homes and also be happy to part with if we were heading to a holiday party or receive from a savvy friend. Happy shopping!

Zara Home Dark Amber Scented Candle

Zara Home Beaver Fur Throw

Zara Home has a huge selection of scented candles (the go-to gift of choice no matter the occasion) in two sizes as well as incense in each of the brand’s fragrances. They’re fairly priced, too, starting at just $16 and topping out around $32 for larger candles. They’ve got holiday-specific scents in addition to everyday woody and florals, too.

And to keep you cozy while you’re burning that candle, we’ve chosen a chic faux fur throw ($189) that’ll add a touch of luxe to any house, from modern and cool to rustic Ralph Lauren.

And that variety is the hallmark of Zara Home. No matter what your home’s mood (or your hostess’) you’ll find something that’ll fit in just fine.

H&M Cup with Candle

H&M Faux Fur Blanket

Like the clothes, the home goods at H&M are all about being budget-friendly. While Zara’s got a huge selection of scented candles, H&M offers a huge selection of unscented candles in various vessels. We fell had for the teacup ($7.95), but a little digging revealed that they’ve got plenty of other choices, too.

In the throw category, H&M has an entire zoo of different faux furs. And while they’re not as refined as the Zara offerings, they might be great if you’re looking for something a little more eye-catching. Leopard, zebra and more are available, as well as solid colors ($59.95) and a few with Southwestern motifs.

Scandinavian design is known for having the perfect balance of clean and cozy, but the selection at H&M is definitely a little more loud and brash than we’d have in our own homes, but for people who love colorful brands such as Isabel Marant and Lanvin (who have both collaborated with H&M in the past) it might be just the thing to add some personality and make a house a home.